AUA is delighted to be organizing the 2019 Organic Valley Good Food Commons at FamilyFarmed‘s Good Food EXPO! Be sure to come early and stay late for the dozens of free 30 minute workshops intended for the do-it-yourself enthusiast, covering important topics on urban gardening, composting, raising urban livestock, and culinary skills! Additionally, bring soil samples from your urban garden or farm for free soil screening for lead!
This year’s fabulous presenters include: Windy City Harvest, the Chicago Bionutrient Food Association, The Plant, Back of the Yards Algae Sciences, the Field Museum, Deep Roots Project, The Organic Gardener, Chicago Park District, Integrated Pest Management Institute, Home to Roost, Chicago Public Schools, Goat Guardians Guild, West Side Bee Boyz, Big Green, KAMII Food Justice & Sustainability Program, GrowAsis Urban Garden Consulting, University of Illinois Extension, The Morton Arboretum, Green Grocer Chicago, Conscious Plates, loveren collections, Chef in the Hood, Green City Market, Fresh Curds, and Rumi Spice! Click here for the full schedule!
Additionally, throughout the day, the soil scientists of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the educators of University of Illinois Extension will be providing on-site soil screening for lead. We encourage you to bring as many samples from your yard, garden or urban farm as you like!
As recently covered in Block Club Chicago, this is part of a larger citizen-science project to identify and manage soil lead contamination and develop a publicly available map of soil heavy metal contamination in our city. See the soil screening section of AUA’s website for further details, including this printable soil sampling instructions flyer, and please help us spread the word on this free and important resource by sharing this Facebook event!
FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Expo, the largest of its kind in the Midwest, is focused on the fast-growing Good Food movement — and brings together an outstanding collection of expert speakers, chefs, farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, buyers, sellers, DIY enthusiasts and consumers who are accelerating the rise of a better food system. Chicago’s entire urban agriculture community will be out at this nationally significant event that connects our local and regional food system!
Join old and new friends and colleagues at the Good Food Commons at FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Expo!
Saturday, March 23rd, 11am-4pm, at the University of Illinois-Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. Questions? Contact us at in**@au********.org!